Tag Archives: Holy water

St. Bridget (or Brigid, or Bride) is the female patron saint of Ireland. Her feast day, February 1, was traditionally the first day of spring in rural Ireland because it marked the start of the agricultural season. It was customary on the eve of the saint’s day for the oldest daughter of the family to bring a bundle of rushes to the door. Playing the role of St. Bridget, she would distribute the rushes among the family members, who would make crosses from them and, after the crosses were sprinkled with holy water, hang them throughout the house. More…Discuss

Holy water may be used to cleanse the soul, but the water itself is often far from clean. A vast majority of the holy springs and fonts tested at Austrian churches and chapels were found to be contaminated with fecal matter, likely the result of poor hygiene. Agricultural nitrates and diarrhea-causing bacteria were also frequently present in samples. To minimize issues of contamination, one priest has invented a holy water dispenser that releases drops of water instead of having the faithful dip their potentially dirty hands into the water.More…Discuss